Mine-door latch



. REYNOLDS.

MINE DOOR LATCH APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23. 1921.

Patented Oct. 117, 1922.

61am new Fatented @ch 1?, 1922,

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VINCE D. REYNOLDS, 0F FAIBIVIONT, WEST VIRGINIA.

MINE-DOOR LATCH.

T 0 (LE whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Vines D. REYNOLDS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and resident of Fairmont, in the county of Marion and State ofVI est Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments inMine-Door Latches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mine door latches, and particularly to amanually operated latch or lock, capable of assuming positions whichwill prevent accidental movement of the locking bolt or bolts whichmight be occasioned by vibration or other causes outside of manualmanipulation, which would prove effective to move a pivot beyond a deadcenter to allow the bolt to retract.

A further object of this invention is to produce a latchof the characterindicated having a bolt in slidable relation to a retaining element orhousing, the said bolt being guided to-insure coactio-n between the saidbolt and the housing.

A still further object of this invention is to produce a latch of thecharacter indicated which can be made from stock material such as metalstrips of proper dimensions, so shaped as to produce coacting elementscapable of performing functions ascribed to them.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists inthe details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination ofparts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings forming part of this application wherein likecharacters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and inwhich- Figure 1 illustrates a view in elevation of a latch embodying theinvention;

Figure 2 illustrates an edge view thereof;

Figure 8 illustrates an underneath plan view; and

Figure 4 illustrates a plan View of the housing prior to its beingmounted.

In carrying out the invention, a base 5 is employed having apertures 6for the anchoring elements which may be in the nature of screws, and thesaid base plate carries two pairs of guides each of which, in thepresent embodiment of the invention, includes a fiat strip 7 of metaland an arched strip 8 of metal, the arched strip standing clear of theplate 7 and the said plates 7 and 8 being secured to the base plate byfastenings 9 such as bolts. The pairs of guides are in spaced relationto each other and they extend parallel to the edges of the base plate,terminating near the outer end of the base plate.

A locking bolt comprising a transposed U-shaped member, the arms 10 and11 of which project toward the outer end of the base plate, and the loop12 of which extends transversely of the base plate, is slidable betweenthe pairs of guides, and the outer ends of the arms bear against thebase plate andare guided from movement laterally of the base plate byreason of their engagement with the outer edges of the plate 7 By thisrelation of parts, the arms of the bolt are guided to the housing orkeeper 13 which may be stationed on the door frame or jamb. Preferably,the base plate will be carried by a door, although these parts could, ofcourse, be interchanged with relation to the door and the frame or jamb.The housing 13, in the present embodiment of the invention, comprises aplate having a laterally extending car 14 which is apertured as at 15,to receive a fastening such as a screw, and in mounting the housing, theear will be secured to the element and the main body of the housingwould then be bent to overlie the ear in spaced relation thereto, toform a clearance for the reception of the arms of the bolt.

A link 16 has its outer end pivotally connected to the loop of theUshaped bolt, and its outer end is connected by a pivot 17 to a handlelever 18 which might be termed a bell crank. The handle 19 forms one armof the bell crank and the extension 20 to which the link is pivotedforms the other arm of the bell crank. A plate 21 is secured t0 the baseand has an upwardly extending end 22 with a pivot 23 by which the bellcrank is pivoted to the plate, and the relation of parts is such thatthe pivot 17 travels below the pivot 23 when the parts are in lockedposition, and therefore, there is a locking action which preventsmovement of the locking handle, except when force is applied to move thepivot 17 beyond the axis of the pivot 23.

The bell crank is formed, in the present embodiment of the invention,from flat metal, the handle portion 19 being given a quarter twist topresent a flat surface for manipulating the said lever. The link 16 isalso formed from a fiat metal strip, the portion of which that isconnected to the pivot 17 having a quarter twist with relation to thatportion which is connected to the bolt,

It will be seen from the foregoing that the device can be manufacturedalmost Wholly by the stamping processes by which metal is cut andshaped, and therefore, the cost of manufacturing the bolts will becomparatively small, whereas they will prove strong and durable as wellas efiicient and satisfactory in use.

I claim:

1. In a mine door latch, a base plate, pairs of guides extendinglongitudinally of the base'plate near one end, a transposed U shapedbolt having a looped portion slidable in the guides and the arms thereofextending parallel with the guides at their outer edges, a housing withwhich the arms engage, a link pivotally connected to the loop of thebolt, a plate having an outstanding portion provided therein, a bellcrank lever having its angular portion oscillatable on the pivot, a linkpivotally connected to one arm of the bell crank lever, the arm to whichthe link is pivoted being of such length as to cause the pivot of thelink to pass the axis of the pivot of the bell crank when the parts arein locked positions.

2. In a latch for mine doors, a base plate,

pairs of guidessecured on the plate near its outer end, a U-shapedlocking bolt transposed to slide longitudinally of the guides,- alinkpivoted to the loop of the locking bolt, a lever to which the linkis pivotally connected, and a member on the base to which the lever ispivotally connected.

3. In a latchfor mine doors, a base plate, pairs of guides secured onthe plate near its outer end, a U-shaped locking bolt transposed toslide horizontally in the guides, a link pivoted to the loop of thelocking bolt, a bell crank lever to which the link is'pivotallyconnected, a member on the base to which the angularly disposed portionof the bell crank lever is pivotally connected, and a housing forengaging the bolt.

4. In a latch for mine doors, a base plate, pairs of guides secured onthe plate near its outer end, a U-shaped locking bolt transposed toslide horizontally in the guides, a link pivoted to the loop of thelocking bolt, a bell crank lever to which the'link is pivotallyconnected, a member on the base to which the angularly disposed portionof the bell crank lever is pivotally connected, and a housing engagingthe bolt, the said housing comprising a plate having an apertured earfor receiving an anchoring means, the body of the plate being connectedto the ear but extending therefromto form a clear ance for the receptionof the bolt.

VINCE D. REYNOLDS.

